1.
tending to; prone to; apt to
A suffix attached to the masu-stem of a verb, indicating a tendency or habitual inclination — often but not always with a negative connotation. The resulting form can function as a noun modifier (with な or の) or as a predicate.
Attaches to the verb masu-stem (忘れる → 忘れがち, 遅れる → 遅れがち, する → しがち) or directly to a noun describing a recurring state (曇りがち below; 病気がち, prone to illness).
Common patterns
- ～がちだ: tends to [do/be]
- ～がちな: tending to [do/be] (noun modifier)
- ～がちに: in a way that tends toward ~
Common collocations
- 忘れがち: tending to forget
- 遅れがち: tending to be late
- 曇りがち: tending to be cloudy
- しがち: tending to do (for suru-verb compounds)
Originates from 勝ち (winning, prevailing), suggesting the tendency "wins out" over other outcomes. Now functions as a productive suffix with a slightly negative nuance in many uses.